


Hours Until Morning

by lightsidecalling



Series: Shadows and Light [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Family Drama, Family Issues, Gen, Motherhood, My First Fanfic, Other, Pregnancy, Recurring Dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 00:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8306899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightsidecalling/pseuds/lightsidecalling
Summary: The Emperor has long considered himself to be a great patron of the arts. When one of his favorite artists applies for maternity leave, Palpatine requests a meeting.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I am considering this my first fanfic because it has been decades since I have finished any of my fic work. (Actually posting this now is another huge achievement for me.) 
> 
> This will eventually be a tiny piece of a larger project I am working on. (I truly hope to get better at this as I go along.)
> 
> Thanks to roane for encouragement and wisdom!

**_2 ABY_ **

Talia Dakai Jinn smoothed the fabric of her uniform smock over her rounded abdomen and proceeded down the corridor of the  _ Executor _ with her head held high. Her honey-brown hair was drawn back and knotted at the base of her skull in accordance with Imperial dress code. She drew curious looks from the other officers she passed, as it was a rare sight to see a human woman working so late into her pregnancy.

 

The child growing within her was awake and moving. Despite her status as a first-time mother, Talia knew that her baby had shifted position the night before. She had felt the insistent prodding of tiny feet, knees, fists and elbows in a sudden rush of activity as the baby turned over. The med droid she visited earlier in the day confirmed the little girl was now head-first in preparation for the birth that was still weeks away.

 

Talia’s thoughts suddenly flew to her husband, Eder. How she longed to see his face! His sabbatical would begin one week after she was scheduled to take a leave of absence from the Imperial Navy. In less than two weeks, they would both be back home on Naboo waiting for the arrival of their daughter. But first, she had been summoned by the Emperor to attend him personally.

 

She could count the number of these meetings on one hand. Today, would make the fifth time in just over twenty years of service that she had been in the presence of the Emperor. Talia could fear him, if she allowed herself to do so, but instead she filled her mind with the textures of wood, clay, stone, metals and glass.

 

Sculpture had always been her escape and her salvation. Thinking about the different mediums she worked in helped to relax and center her thoughts. Her artwork was what first brought her to the attention of her patron. Then, he was known as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and the power he exuded had dazzled the young artist.

 

Over the years, he had been a generous benefactor. He created positions for herself and her husband under the auspices of the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order and the Coalition for Progress. Talia cared little for bureaucracy and even less for bureaucrats. Her passion was for art. For most of her career, she was given the freedom to come and go as she pleased—in between commissions from the Emperor, of course.

 

It was her work that stood in Monument Plaza on Coruscant. She had labored for months, working mostly with hand tools, and the Emperor had been extremely pleased with the finished statue. “It will stand for thousands of years, my child,” he had said, patting her arm almost affectionately.

 

Eder Jinn was a gifted painter. He achieved the rank of master with a pastoral mural that depicted the beauty of Naboo’s Lake Country. The wall painting resided in a place of honor within the Theed Royal Palace. She loved every brush stroke of the mural almost as much as she loved the artist. Some of the happiest hours of her life were spent simply watching Eder work.

 

Later, he proposed in front of the mural before the last of the paint had a chance to dry. Flecks of green and blue clung to his disheveled golden hair. In that moment, Talia thought she had never seen anyone more beautiful.

 

Eder had not touched a paintbrush in months and this worried her. Stress from work, stress due to the changes in their family, were clearly wearing on him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the child, but rather he had never seriously considered becoming a father, especially at this stage of his life.

 

At the age of 37 standard years, Talia understood, because she had all but dismissed the idea of having children herself. Yet, here she was, pregnant with a healthy baby girl. With each passing day, the desire to hold her child in her arms intensified. Her art reflected this, much to the consternation of her superiors, who didn’t see a practical use for mother goddess statuary.

 

As she approached the end of the corridor, a pair of Imperial Royal Guard stood aside and then closed ranks behind her. It was procedure of course, to insure that the Emperor was protected at all times.  _ “No fear,” _  she told herself silently as the doors to the throne room slid open.

 

Grand Vizier Mas Amedda was the first to acknowledge her presence. Talia inclined her head to show the proper deference and respect, then she kneeled before the Emperor. Once she was down on the floor, she was horrified to discover she would need assistance in standing.

 

“Your Imperial Majesty,” she began undaunted. “I am most honored to be in your presence once more.”

 

A ghost of a smile appeared on the wrinkled and scarred visage. “Talia, my dear, it has been too long. Rise, child. Let me have a look at you.”

 

She wavered off balance for a moment before cool hands steadied and lifted her to her feet. Unseen hands. She pushed that thought aside quickly by imagining she was running her toes through the finest white sand of a tropical beach.

 

The Emperor drew closer and placed his hands upon her pregnant belly. Talia was shocked by the sudden contact. A feeling of cold penetrated her skin and quickly sank into her body.  _ Was her daughter trembling? _

 

“Not much longer now, hmmm?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“And it is your intention to have your baby on Naboo? The finest physicians in the Empire are on Coruscant, you know. Or you could stay aboard the  _ Executor _ and my personal doctor would see to your every need.”

 

Emperor Palpatine withdrew his hands slowly, an expression which she could not quite identify drifted across his face. Talia averted her gaze and took a deep breath. “I am truly humbled by your generosity, Majesty.”

 

“But you want to go  _ home _ .”

 

Tears sprung to her eyes and she had the sudden urge to wipe them away with her sleeve. She could feel all eyes upon her in that moment. If the Emperor could sense her discomfort, he gave no indication.

 

After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. “You are one of the finest artists in the Empire, Talia. You are also a loyal citizen. I know that if I commanded you to stay, you would. But I am not the monster that those murderous rebels and insurgents would have the galaxy believe. No. I will see you safely delivered back to Naboo and you will have your baby in peace.”  

 

_ Peace _ . It was an odd choice of words, when the reality was clearly the opposite. How many times did she thank the stars that neither she nor Eder had been aboard the Death Star when it was destroyed?

 

Palpatine turned from her then and moved towards his throne. “Your shuttle will leave first thing in the morning. Go now and rest. You are tired.”

 

A sudden wave of fatigue settled on her shoulders and she bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” She backed away slowly, the Royal Guards positioned to escort her out.

 

“Oh and Talia?”

 

Talia froze in place, her eyes locked with her patron. She had never really noticed before how alien his gaze had become over the years. His eyes seemed to glow in the low light of the room. From the corner of her eye, she could see Mas Amedda shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

 

“What name have you decided on? For your child?”

 

She took a breath. “Ava, Your Majesty, after my mother.”

 

“How lovely. I look forward to meeting little Ava.” The Emperor smiled then, but there was no warmth. “Farewell, Talia. Do give my regards to your husband.”

 

She bowed her head low and allowed the Royal Guards to guide her out of the room. They walked with her in silence down the corridor to the lift. As the lift doors closed, her hands touched the places on her stomach were the Emperor’s hands had been.

 

The feeling of cold had dissipated, but she found herself fighting back the urge to be sick. Her baby, Ava, was still within her. Asleep, she hoped.

 

Talia hurried back to the quarters that had been temporarily assigned to her, intent on sending a comm to Eder. Later, she forced herself to eat and then take a shower, before collapsing on the bed. She was so very tired, but this late in pregnancy, sleep was difficult.

 

But sleep did come eventually… 

 

***

 

The sun shone brightly in a cloudless blue sky. She walked through the tall grass of the pasture hand in hand with her child. The sound of the waterfalls in the distance was familiar and comforting. The little girl smiled up at Talia with her father’s green eyes. Eder’s golden blonde waves bounced upon the child’s tiny shoulders.

 

“I love you, mama.”

 

Talia tried to reply but the words wouldn’t come. She tried to scream but made no sound. The weather changed suddenly and they shivered in the cold wind.

 

High upon a cliff her daughter stood, older now, the perfect image of Eder. Talia wanted to go to her, throw her arms around her and protect her, but she couldn’t move.

 

Two figures stood between her and the child. The first, was a man wearing a Rebel orange flight suit. She couldn’t see his face.  She did not know him. The other figure was dark and shifting, but Talia knew him by the sound of his heavy mechanical breathing. Lord Vader.

 

She fought against her frozen body desperate to reach her little girl. Ava was so close to the edge of the cliff and she was crying… for  _ her _ . 

 

“Mama…”

 

Talia woke with a start. Her heart was racing but she quickly calmed when she felt her baby’s foot pushing against the hand she held protectively against her belly. She checked the chronometer. Her shuttle wasn’t due to leave for several hours, but the idea of returning to sleep didn’t appeal to her.

 

Eder’s Aunt Miri had warned her about the vivid dreams which come with pregnancy. Still, nothing could have prepared her for what she had just experienced. And Vader? Why would she dream of him? Perhaps it was because she had been relieved that he had not been with the Emperor at their last meeting.

 

She had no explanation for the appearance of the Rebel pilot, and vowed not to assign too much significance to any aspect of the dream.

 

Her fears about becoming a mother were fairly common, according to the people she had talked to, and would pass in time. She briefly considered sending another comm to Eder, but thought better of it, not wanting to worry him. She was lonely and still unsettled from her encounter with the Emperor.

 

Rummaging through her bag, she withdrew a small sketchbook and a set of charcoal pencils. Expensive and rare, they had been a present from Eder.  _ “I can’t gift wrap a slab of stone,” _ he said at the time, laughter crinkling his green eyes.  _ “So this will have to do.” _

 

_ “It’s perfect,” _ she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

 

Drawing wasn’t her primary talent, but she had enough skill and training to sketch the sweet face she saw in her dream. She knew dreams usually had nothing to do with reality, but Talia felt certain that she had seen her daughter’s true face. Time would reveal all, she supposed.

 

Losing herself in her art, the hours passed quickly. Soon, with bags in hand, Talia boarded the shuttle which would take her to the other side of the galaxy and home to the tranquility of Naboo. She dozed on and off throughout the flight, each time was dreamless and peaceful.

 

***

 

_ One month later… _

 

Talia sat in her favorite chair, sketchbook in hand, quietly drawing her husband and daughter asleep in the dappled sunlight of their veranda. A thick fringe of eyelashes curled against Ava’s plump cheek as it pressed into the golden skin of Eder’s chest. Her tiny fist lay close to her mouth for occasional sucking in sleep.

 

Little Ava would wake up hungry. Talia knew this as surely as she could feel the weight of the milk in her breasts. It still amazed her how easy and natural the transition to motherhood had been.

 

The pain of labor was quickly forgotten. There were occasional sleepless nights, but not nearly as many as she had expected. Aunt Miri had been very kind and supportive through it all, answering her questions and taking over Ava’s care when Talia needed to sneak in a nap.

 

After learning that Eder had resigned his commission and accepted a faculty position with the Royal Academy of Art, she transmitted her own letter of resignation but had yet to hear back. That was a week ago. Eder tried to be reassuring by telling her that the process would take some time.  But his suggestion that her request would be sent all the way up to the Grand Vizier made her nervous.

 

_ What would she do if they denied her request? _

 

A few nights ago, when Talia woke suddenly from a recurring dream, she told her husband every detail she could remember about her meeting with the emperor. Eder listened without comment, but the concern was written all over his face.

 

Then, she described her dream and how each time, Ava was shown to her at different ages. At the start of the dream, she would be walking with a youngling of about 3 years or an older child of perhaps 7.  On the cliff, Ava often looked to be an adolescent of approximately 14 or a young woman in her early 20s.  

 

From a drawer, she pulled out the sketchbook and handed it to her husband. Under the light of their bedside lamp, Eder studied the drawings which depicted his daughter in danger. The Rebel pilot was shown facing away, his attention directed toward the young woman on the cliff.

 

Eder pointed to the dark shadow beside the pilot. “This is Vader?”

 

Talia took a deep breath and exhaled before she replied, “Yes, I think so. He never fully manifests in my dream, but I hear his breathing. It’s very distinct.”   

 

Eder nodded in agreement and examined each drawing in the sketchbook. His fingers hovered over the surface of the page so as not to disturb his wife’s work. “She’s beautiful. I mean, she’s our daughter, our baby girl.  How could she be anything but the most beautiful baby in the world? It will be interesting to look back years from now to see if this is how she turns out.” He smiled, closing the book carefully and handing it back to his wife.

 

She ran her hand gently down the side of his face. “Ava looks just like you.”

 

Eder kissed her palm. He gathered Talia close and reclined. “Hours until morning,” he said on a sigh. “Try to go back to sleep.”

 

***

 

_ “Request denied. Your leave of absence has been extended as a courtesy, but you are ordered to appear before His Imperial Majesty on Coruscant in 6 months for reassignment. At that time, you will also be required to present your daughter, Ava Jinn, to the Emperor for examination.” _

 

Talia acknowledged receipt of the message automatically before the full meaning had a chance to sink in. Her body felt foreign to her suddenly, and so impossibly cold. Despite feeling frozen in place, her mind started to race with all of the questions and possibilities too terrible to conceive. 

 

She had no idea that she had lost consciousness until she found herself coming around in Eder’s arms.  He read the message aloud twice. Talia squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against her husband. She moaned sorrowfully, desperate to wake up, but this was no dream.

 

After a few minutes, they sat together in silence while she nursed the baby. Where she found the strength to rein in her emotions and focus on her child, Talia did not know. She hoped that her husband would not mistake her calm for acceptance.

 

The truth was that she was only calm on the surface. It was important to hold herself together and be present for her family, but it all felt so tenuous. “What will we do?” she whispered. “Why does the Emperor want our child?”

 

Eder pressed himself into the back of his chair. “There have been rumors…” he began.

 

Talia raised her head, “What sort of rumors?”

 

“The Emperor has been collecting force-sensitive children for some sort of experiment.”

 

“Wait-  _ what _ ?” She shook her head in an attempt to clear and order her thoughts. “The Force? Like the Jedi. You think our baby…?”

 

Eder reached forward to touch his wife’s arm. “I don’t know Tally, but it’s possible. You remember how it was when we were children… the Jedi were everywhere.”

 

Talia shrugged and looked down at her daughter who regarded her with wide eyes. She stroked Ava’s soft cheek as she continued nursing. “You had an uncle—“

 

“My grandfather’s younger brother, yes. I never knew him, but my family believed that he was a good man.”  Eder’s expression changed. “What if we are on the wrong side of things? 

 

“I didn’t know we were on a side.”

 

“Tal, I love you, but you haven’t really been out there,” he said gently. “You haven’t see what’s been happening. The destruction, the oppression, the misery… I should have said something sooner. Maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess if I had.”

 

Talia looked up at her husband. He was blaming himself and he looked as frightened as she felt. “I can’t bring our baby to the Emperor.”

 

Eder closed his eyes for a moment. “Then we have to run. We’ll take Ava and go somewhere the Emperor can’t find us. We’ll change our names, maybe join the rebellion.”

 

She laughed weakly. “What would the rebellion want with a couple of artists?”

 

Eder leaned forward, his eyes alight with something that looked like hope. “We can  _ learn _ to fight. For her.”

 

Fight for her daughter. Yes, that is what she will do. Talia nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

 

Eder got up from his chair and embraced them. Their future was unknown, but their path was becoming clear.

 

They stayed up late that night, quietly planning how and when they would disappear. Talia knew with absolute certainty that their lives would be forfeit if they were caught. But the alternative, staying and facing the Emperor, was simply unthinkable.

 

And so they ran.

 

_ -End- _

  
  



End file.
